Veteran's Day

Hugs go out to all Vets today. And a big thank you for your willingness to serve. The Vets in my life are the most peaceful people I know. I am thankful for their insight into the true purpose of the military forces around the world. If there were more of this peace centered existence the need for a standing army would diminish exponentially! Thanks to all of you!!!

My Tour de France mileage is now at 665. I am still holding in there. But really, does it all count as a win if I am the only one who is crossing the finish line? YES!! The competition may no longer be there but I am working towards my own goals and that is a winning force. I am finding the colder weather a dichotomous force in this race. It is nice not to need two fans and the AC running while I pedal away. However, it would be very nice to curl up in front of the fire with a book and a blankie instead of working extra hard to break a sweat. Today begins my work outs with Kam. Weight training is an interesting event for me. I have to work myself up to get going in the gym. Then I feel strong, tough, and determined. Drawback? I end up working so hard I am sore for the next week. This does not build encouragement to continue. Playing these games with myself it is easy to understand the troubles clients have keeping their goals in sight when choosing to miss a workout or two. If desire alone were enough to build the fire more people would be burning excess fat. Unfortunately desire without action produces no results.

I am experimenting with new diet changes. I am continuing on the total elimination diet as outlined in Dr. Haas' book The False Fat Diet. However I am making some personal changes. I know that gluten is not my friend. This is one that will not be coming back. I am suspicious about soy, so it is also staying out for now. I ate potatoes last Friday evening. They were wonderful. They were not my friend either. So they are out except for those holidays when mashed potatoes are a must. (Read Thanksgiving dinner.) So what is the change exactly? I ate hot rice cereal every morning for about four weeks. I loved it. I had it in so very many different ways. My goal is to burn more fat. I am now eating veggies and protein for breakfast. I started with this yesterday. The hope is that my set-point will change. My two other large meals are veggies. I am going to allow myself one meal with rice each day. This does not mean I absolutely have to eat rice each day. This means I can eat rice once each day. My morning snack is a glass of veggie juice. This I am making fresh each day. What is it made of? Carrot, celery, beet, and apple. Do I love it? No. Beet is not my favorite juice. Will I drink it anyway? For a while. The beet is good for me and that is why I will drink it until it is gone. Apple carrot is great. Celery helps with headaches. My afternoon snack will stay a piece of fruit and some nuts. Now that I have been good for so long the fruit tastes like candy.

I was craving comfort food last week and came up with this...
Ground Turkey Gravy
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp (or less) salt
Pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil
Brown together then add 1/2 cup water and bring to simmer. While this is simmering mix 1 cup water with 2 tsp arrowroot powder and 1/8 cup nutritional yeast. Whisk into the Turkey mixture. Stir until thickened. Serve over brown rice. Have a green veggie and a salad with this.

Arrowroot powder acts the same as cornstarch. While working on this elimination diet it is important to avoid corn and all its derivatives. Corn is one of the hardest foods to avoid when eating pre-packaged foods. Many foods contain corn syrup or cornstarch. Diligence is the key to success in this game. Every time I am looking for something new I read the label. It takes time but in the long run it has been worth the effort. The rewards here are much greater than some fat burned. I feel better! My joints are happier. I am riding the bike and not having to sit with ice on my knees twice afterward. My energy level is going up. My overall happiness is greater. The extra effort involved in reading labels and cooking from scratch is paying off. I do get tired and want some convenience foods. This is when I reach for frozen veggies. I buy just veggies. No sauces added, no flavors added, just veggies. The prep time is cut way down and it feels like the meal is ready in a snap. One of my current favorites is sauteed green beans. I am buying the whole frozen beans. I heat 1 TBS olive oil in a fry pan and add 1-2 cloves chopped garlic. after about 30 seconds of sizzle I add frozen green beans. This is ready when the beans are hot through. I might grind sea salt and fresh pepper over just before serving.

Tomorrow...How to substitute for butter and not use hydrogenated oils.

Back on the wagon!

I got back on the bike today! I have been missing it sooooo bad! I am still itching with the remains of the poison ivy (rumor has it I have another 7-10 days of this to look forward to!) What a pleasure to spend an hour riding! I made another 19 miles and no knee or ankle pain!

It was a thought provoking morning. I am quite interested in the WHY of things. Why do people not care for themselves, not love themselves, and wonder why they continue to feel bad. I worry that there is a need for the quick fix in all areas of life and that as a society we are falling because we are failing to do the work necessary to obtain permanent repair. We are so caught up in the rigors of everyday life that we are forgetting to take just a moment to appreciate just that, LIFE. I have been caught in the cycle of work, family, house chores, and ignored my personal needs just as many do. I understand the drive to survive becomes greater than the drive to succeed in health. What I am wishing is for those caught in that endless cycle to realize breaking the cycle takes only 20 minutes daily. The patterns can be changed. Each individual in the world deserves a minimum of 20 minutes daily to dedicate to change, to dedicate to a new path of invigorated life, to dedicate to a renewal of health. There are very few people in the world (yes, the WORLD) who would have adverse effects from a brisk walk. Even those who live in the inner city can walk. They may have to walk in place in their living room but they can move the body in a manner which causes it to take in more oxygen. Fire is fueled by oxygen. In order to burn fat the body needs oxygen. Breathing brings in oxygen. Increased oxygen increases health.

Continue to raise the fires within and use your power to increase the oxygen consumption of your body!